Roses, Violets, and Dark Marks
by animalwriter
Summary: Severus Snape hates Valentine's Day and takes pride in ruining it for all his students. But can he do the same for Slytherins Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy? And if he doesn't, can he expect any gratitude for it? Not a Romance! Rated T.


**A/N: Welcome! This story was written in response to a facebook group Valentine's Day challenge where I was assigned the character of Pansy Parkinson to have write a Valentine to Snape. I know it's terribly late but here, finally, is the finished product. It is not a Severus/Pansy romance, so never fear! I actually envision this taking place in the same universe as my story "Carry Me Away", where Fawkes is female and fell in love with Severus while in her human form, but she cannot take that form again until after the war. You will see it referenced briefly in the story, but the story can certainly be read as a stand alone as well. Please enjoy and leave a review!**

* * *

ROSES, VIOLETS, AND DARK MARKS

* * *

Severus Snape abhorred Valentine's Day. Hogwarts all red and pink and full of life as students sent each other love notes and chocolates and passed around poorly-made love potions. The air reeked with such joy, frivolity, and romance it made him sick.

And there was no hallway, no dark corner of Hogwarts, that was safe from the sparkle and glitter of the holiday. It seemed everywhere he turned there were students discussing their various romantic endeavors, participating in those endeavors, snogging, planning trips to Madame Puddifoot's in Hogsmeade... It was enough to drive the Potions Master mad.

If he could not be with the one he loved on Valentine's Day, then no one else deserved that privilege either, and that was that.

The only enjoyment Severus got out of the festivity was the opportunity to stalk the halls and put an end to the trysts of any pairs of students he came across. He had done much the same at the Yule Ball earlier this school year and was thoroughly pleased with the looks on students' faces after he invaded their privacy and sent them crawling back to their Common Rooms with massive point deductions.

On this particular Tuesday there were also, unfortunately, classes to teach, and so there would be times when Severus did not get the opportunity to put an end to certain students' romances. At least Potter was not involved in any romance. It had been quite pleasurable to see the boy flounder around with his date to the Yule Ball, while Granger and Weasley had apparently had a bit of a falling out over the former's relationship with Viktor Krum.

But apparently one young student had not escaped being bitten by the Valentine's bug.

"And where do we think _we _are going, Miss Parkinson?" Severus reached out to grasp the hood of Pansy Parkinson's robes as she darted past him in the halls carrying a shimmering box of chocolates.

"I- ah- Draco-" she pointed down the halls, her face flushed and anxious, and Severus followed her gaze to just see the blond head of the boy disappear around a distant corner.

"I see," he smirked. So Pansy Parkinson was chasing Draco Malfoy, was she? Although Severus had a softer spot for Slytherin students he was still not going to condone any romantic joy on this particular day of all days.

Besides, he knew Draco... the boy was wading deeper and deeper into things that he could never truly understand, no matter how Lucius tried to convince him otherwise.

Albus had asked Severus to keep an eye on Draco since the boy had begun his schooling, but Severus would have done so anyway.

"You aren't going to punish me, are you?" Pansy challenged, that little glint of snobbery in her eyes that Severus was used to seeing day in and day out in his classes.

Severus snorted. "I should. What makes you think you're deserving of special treatment from me?"

"Because," here a sinister grin formed on her face. She probably learned that from her rotten parents. "You're special. We're special. Us Slytherins. And I _know _you think Draco is special."

_Exactly why I wish to keep hi_m _away from girls like you_, was what he wanted to say, but she had him there. He needed to maintain his image of Slytherin bias. _All _Slytherins. Or else the Dark Lord, when he was revived, as the pricks that continued to plague Severus's dark mark assured would happen, would suspect.

So even this girl, one of Slytherin's most unsavory and slimy little witches, would need to get special treatment.

"Very well," he relaxed his stance into the one of ease that he tried to convey when speaking with his Slytherins in class. But he could not resist one final quip. "But please do not make a _fool _of yourself, Miss Parkinson."

The girl's eyes lit up and a radiant smile spread across her face. "That's wonderful! Thank you, Professor! I've got to catch up to him now!" She spun around and sped off in the direction of where the Malfoy boy had disappeared.

"Hm," Severus mused as he watched her vanish from sight. For a moment there, she had sounded – and behaved – just like an ordinary smitten girl. Perhaps there was hope for her yet.

Still, though... he hoped Draco didn't end up making a permanent thing out of a relationship with Miss Pansy Parkinson.

The thought alone made the day feel even grimmer.

* * *

By the time curfew had fallen Severus was only too glad that the excruciating day had finally come to an end. And by some miraculous stroke of luck it was _not _his night to patrol the halls for errant students, so now nothing stood between him and an at least halfway decent night's sleep.

Nothing, that was, except the little envelope tucked under his office door.

Severus paused to frown and consider this token. Albus, Minerva, and the rest of the faculty _knew _he only received correspondence by owl, house elf, or intra-Hogwarts floo. That left the students. Hopefully whichever one had dropped this little time bomb on his doorstep had at least bothered to seal it so only he could open it.

First, Severus checked for any lingering spells in the area.

When his wand found none, he levitated the envelope into the air and leaned his long nose forward to give it a careful sniff. If those Weasley twins had laced it with any concoction of theirs...

But he could sense nothing. Nothing except that this closer view showed that the envelope was actually pale pink and the wax seal was embossed in the shape of a heart...

Severus felt a snarl in his throat. Whichever student had played such a nasty prank would certainly be expelled come tomorrow. The very idea of sending him a note resembling a Valentine. Probably nothing inside of it. He knew from growing up in Hogwarts how students' disgusting little minds worked...

Severus shoved open his door and slammed it behind him, storming over to his desk and falling into the chair as he plopped the insulting object in front of him on the desk's surface, staring down at the heart and trying to decide whether to open it or not.

Unless... Could it be...?

Severus looked up into the rafters, seeing nothing but his own ceiling even though his mind floated right through it and all the way up into the Headmaster's office, where he knew his only solace resided...

But no. She had never done such a thing all the years he had been teaching at Hogwarts. She would not do so this year, no matter how things had changed. It was too risky.

That certain, Severus forced his mind away from the things he could not currently have and back to the thing that was sitting in front of his face.

He would have to open it. If there were any clue to the sender in there he would need it to exact proper punishment.

His lips curled in disgust, Severus reached out with his wand and broke the seal, before tucking the implement back into his pocket and removing the letter gingerly from its prison.

Leaning forward, he sniffed it again, but nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Severus opened the letter, astounded by what he read in it:

_Dear Professor Snape,_

_Roses are Red, Violets are Blue,_

_I wanted to say Thank You,_

_For letting me go through,_

_With my plan to catch Draco,_

_He did not go very far,_

_I caught him in the halls,_

_For that I think you're a star._

_Terrible poem, I know, but thank you again for holding us Slytherins in such esteem. If not for you Draco would not have agreed to go out with me! We'll be in Madame Puddifoot's next Hogsmeade weekend. I made him promise. But don't tell anybody else. Not even Crabbe and Goyle!_

_Anyway, thanks again and Happy Valentine's Day!_

_Pansy Parkinson_

Severus tried, but he could not keep the amused smile off his face as he folded the "Valentine" back up and replaced it in its envelope.

So it had been sincere, after all. Bizarre and uncalled for, but sincere.

Who would have imagined Pansy Parkinson of all people sending him a Valentine? And with a handwritten poem, no less. He still did not quite approve of her for Draco, but...

Severus clenched his teeth as a rush of burning pain shot through his left arm. Pulling up his sleeve, it was clear that the mark was getting even darker. Things in the Wizarding world were getting worse much faster than they were getting better, and this trend could only escalate...

He sighed, lowering his sleeve and looking again at the innocuous envelope that held his Valentine. Perhaps, having female companionship would be good for Draco, as the boy's life was bound to get more and more difficult from here on out. In that case, and with at least some confirmation that the girl was not completely evil, Severus could tolerate the relationship. At least on a temporary basis.

Looking up into the rafters again, Severus could only wish that he could have his relationship back as well.

A wish he knew would not – _could _not – fully come true until after the war was over.


End file.
